Amy Scherber, 36

Amy's Bread, Baker and owner

Where is Amy now?

At Amy Scherber's new bakery in Chelsea, the air is deliciously thick with the aroma of freshly baked bread. Out of the ovens come her signature creations: chewy loaves of semolina with fennel and golden raisins, black olive twists, and thick country sourdoughs.

These staples have served her well, making her one of the top gourmet bread bakers in New York City. As Ms. Scherber adds a second Amy's Bread retail location to her original shop on Ninth Avenue, she will feature a broader selection of sweets and even beverages.

"I feel so excited by it," she says of the boulangerie-like store in Chelsea Market on West 15th Street. "I think about where we've come from in less than five years."

In that time, Ms. Scherber's company has grown from five employees to 50, and from a well-kept secret to a $1.5 million-a-year institution that serves the fanciest restaurants and markets in town. Her cookbook on bread-making is in its second printing, and teaching requests are rolling in.

Ms. Scherber works bakers hours of 11 a.m. to midnight, and she is determined to keep Amy's to the 5,000-pound-a-day capacity her new space can accommodate. "I'm not sure I want to get into the mass market," she says. "I'm adamant about forming our loaves by hand."